Cuisinart CBT-500 SmartPower 600-Watt Premier Power Blender, Brushed Stainless
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Cuisinart CBT-500 SmartPower 600-Watt Premier Power Blender, Brushed Stainless
Customer Review: I hate it
Summary: 1 Stars
This just sits in my basement. First of all, it's easy to assemble, and the parts (other than the motor) are dishwasher safe, so that's a plus. But it all goes downhill from there.
It does a bad job with blending. Ice gets stuck under the blade, so if that is the only thing in your drink to thicken it, what you have is a drink with the consistency of water and ice pellets in it. Nothing I have tried can remedy this. Also, if you are making a smoothie where the fruit adds thickness and you don't necessarily have ice in it you get the problem of the blade whirling with no movement of the actual drink due to an air bubble or something. It will take you way longer to shake the cup around trying to get everything just right than it actually does to blend the drink with the machine running. And when it is running with the air bubble and no drink movement, you can smell something burning, like the friction of the rubber gasket and blade. That is very unappetizing.
Last but not least, the blade keeps getting dented. There is no durability here at all. You can order new blades, but it will have to be an ongoing process because it keeps happening.
At this point I've given up. You would think that an 'ice crush' function means the blade can handle ice...after all ice is just water, and a blade is metal. But it bends and gets dented like the ice was diamonds or something. I have read the manual and have not misused this machine at all; it really is that bad.
Customer Review: Where do I start?
Summary: 2 Stars
I have the Sam's Club version (still sold but at a lower price). It is exactly the same as the CBT 500 but only has 2 speeds. I know because that's what the parts dept. told me when I 1.) had to replace the broken cup in the lid after I dropped it on the floor while unpacking (eight dollars). 2.) After about 8 months of sporadic use, the cutter assembly started leaking (twenty dollars). 3.) The replacement cutter froze up. 4.) Blade #3 returned to parts dept for a replacement. 5.) Replacement blade froze up and probably ruined the motor. When it worked, it had plenty of power to make smoothies. As you can see, reliability is questionable.
Like most small appliances these days, this is Chinese crap. When my 1973 Osterizer (parts still available) finally gave out, I bought a very stylish, powerful, expensive (three hundred bucks) Jenn Air Attrezzi blender. The housing for the blade developed a crack, but they discontinued it and quit carrying parts even BEFORE the warranty ran out. When they told me to look on eBay, I vowed to never again by anything by Jenn Air or it's affiliates.
I've wasted a lot of time and money in the last 3 years replacing stuff that doesn't last. I just ordered a Blendtec HP3A, review pending. Eventually, I will need to replace my 18yo Braun hand mixer (Spain) that has been dropped and abused. So far, I haven't found one that is 110v and NOT made in China. I'd consider the Braun M1000, but it isn't 110v.
Customer Review: Pretty Blender Shaped Paper Weight
Summary: 1 Stars
This is our fourth new blender in the last three years. My wife and I prepare one large smoothie everyday that has no ice, but lots of frozen berries, fresh fruit, etc. Nothing else goes in the blender. This blender looked nice and was so heavy it implied quality. It even worked great for a few months. Then one day the gear that delivers power from the base to the jar stripped right off. Now it is out of warranty. This is not simple to replace since the plastic/rubber piece separated from the steel shaft. We paid close to $100 for this thing so spending a couple of hours bringing it to someone who will charge $25-$50 to repair it seems like throwing good money after bad.
This blender,like many others that I will not waste anymore time reviewing, is described as heavy duty, industrial or commercial grade. None-I repeat-none of the ones sold at your retail store are comparable to the better commercial models. Save yourself time and money and buy the real commercial models that will last you a lifetime. You can easily find quite a few brands and reviews on the internet. The ones used in restaurants, bars and other food service businesses are constructed to a higher standard and have replaceable parts that are readily available over the internet. Be prepared to pay $200-$500.
For someone who only occasionally will use a blender to make margaritas this may be a very useful blender.
Customer Review: Not worth it. Smells bad, hard to pour from, few features
Summary: 2 Stars
I've owned this blender for the better part of three years. In that time it has proven to be reliable for making smoothies and mixed drinks. Unfortunately I've experienced the same problems as a lot of other reviewers:
1. The motor generates a nasty smell that is like burning rubber or grease. This smell will stick around for hours after your done with the blender, and can steal your appetite for whatever you just made!
2. The carafe is nearly impossible to pour from. The only way I can can successfully pour anything from it is by using the squared corners. This requires a little strength as the thick glass makes the carafe fairly heavy, and you have to hold it at an awkward angle to pour. Not an issue for me, but my wife hate trying to pour anything from it.
3. There is no gradual build up setting. It's either full, low, or pulse, with no continuous setting to get the exact speed necessary for the job.
Over all this is a solidly built blender that gets most tasks done. However it is smelly, hard to pour from, and doesn't have a very rich feature set. There are many better options on the market and I suggest you steer clear of this one. I plan to replace mine with a Blendtec of "will it blend?" fame.
Customer Review: I curse this blender a lot
Summary: 1 Stars
It looks pretty, it's powerful...what's not to like?
1. I don't use it much for blending ice, as many reviewers do. Mostly I use it for blending sauces, many of them hot. It is almost impossible to put a hot liquid in the blender and turn it on without it spewing scalding liquid all over myself and my kitchen. It EXPLODES, even if you break the seal on the lid. My KitchenAid stand mixer ramps up to the desired power setting -- I wish this blender had the same feature. I have scalded my arms several times.
2. Nearly every use it emits that "motor burning" smell.
3. I now apologize to my family in advance for the noise, which is startlingly loud.
4. The design of the jar. Ack! First, there's the pouring problem that everyone else mentions. There are also numerous places for food to get stuck in and around the metal band at the top of the jar, etc., and I find it really annoying. Even a trip through the mighty dishwasher doesn't work. The jar never looks clean.
I would never buy another one of these blenders. It's too bad, because it is powerful, and I appreciate the lack of 25 speeds (two speeds is perfectly adequate, and I'm a very experienced cook). But if you think your blender is trying to kill you, you take the hint.